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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



this imperfect movement by the contrivance of a circular hori- 

 zontal comb-table. The machine attracted great attention, and the 

 wool-combers, of whom there were 50,000 in England, immediately 

 petitioned Parliament for its suppression. A bill for that purpose 

 was actually introduced in the Commons. As years passed with- 



out the successful application of the machine, they grew confident, 

 and their annual celebrations of the anniversary of St. Blaize the 

 patron saint of the wool-comber became largely demonstrations 

 of defiance to the inventors. 



Controversy will always exist as to who first evolved a success- 

 ful combing machine. The names of George Edmund Donis- 

 thorpe, Samuel Cunliffe Lister, James Noble, and Isaac Holden 



